Carnivores (Mammalia, Carnivora) from the Quaternary of Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Authors
Fernando A. Perini
Patrícia G. Guedes
Carlos R. Moraes Neto
Maria Paula A. Fracasso
Karoline B. Cardoso
Diogo Duhá
Leandro O. Salles
Keywords:
Mammalia, Carnivora, Quaternary, Serra da Bodoquena, Underwater Caves
Abstract
A report on fossil remains of carnivores from the Quaternary of Serra da Bodoquena (Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil), recovered from two limestone flooded caves, is presented. A total of six species could be identified belonging to three carnivore families, namely Felidae (Smilodon populator, Panthera onca, Leopardus braccatus), Canidae (Protocyon troglodytes, Chrysocyon brachyurus) and Mustelidae (Pteronura brasiliensis), a mosaic of extinct and extant species presumably related to the Holo-Pleistocene fauna of the region. These findings support in part previous suggestions of a paleoecological scenario of open savannas rich in wetlands for the Quaternary environment of Serra da Bodoquena.
